Beam of reinforced building blocks



H. F. ZAGRAY BEAM OF REINFORCED BUILDING BLOCKS Dec. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 31. 1948 INVENTOR. HQI'OZLZEZa BY W fi M ATTORNEYS H. F. ZAGRAY BEAM OF REINFORCED BUILDING BLOCKS Dec. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 31. 1948 Fig? 2 IN V EN TOR.

figyrolclli' Zayray am ATTORNEW United States Patent BEAM- 0F. REINFORCED BUILDING BLOCKS H'arold- F. .Zagray', Canton, Ohio, assignor, by .mesne assignments, to" Precision Building System, Inc-., Canton, Ohio, a corporationjof Ohio Application December 31, 1948', Serial No. 68,500

2 Claims. (Cl. 72-61 The. invention relates to .-bu-ilding blocks, formed of concrete .or the like, for the construction of walls, lintels .-and. similar masonry-'1 structures.

Ffheblocksto. which the invention ,pertainsareof a type :adaptedto belaidup in the. manner of a. dry wall and providedwith. interior openings and grooves, registering with; each. other, to. form a. network .of communicating vertical andhorizontal passages adapted to. be. filled with smortar, cement. or..the like afterv the wall is. laidup, so asito firmlybond. the blockstogether with no mortar joints appearing from .the. exterior of the wall.

,It. ;is;.common practice to. provide such building. blocks with. vertical cored openings extending entirely there- .through. from the ropnt'o the bottom of the block, both for thepurposeof decreasing the weight of the block and ;also-.-.-for1pro.viding air passages within thewall, for. heat and cold insulation.

, .Difiiculty has been experienced ,in the pastin the use of such cored building blocks, where the mortar or cement is poured into the interior ,passagesand grooves. .to bond .the blockstogether inthe manner referred to, as frequently the mortar or'cement will run from such interior passages-and grooves into the cored openings in the blocks, causing these cored openings to be; filled @with mortar-or cement, which not -;onlyuses an excessive amount of snortar or cement without accomplishingv any desired purpose-,, but. by filling these cored openings with mortar or cement the, heat andcold insulation-air chambers within the wallare destroyed.

It is an object of the present invention to. provide a building block of the general character above referred toin which. the above. mentioned difficulties and disadr vantages are overcome.

.Another object is to provide a building block of the character referred to in which the vertical cored-openings in .theblock extend from the bottom of the blockto a point spaced from the topthereof.

A. further object is to provide such a block. in which one or more: small. apertures may be formed through the top ofthe. block communicating with the upper end-of each. coredvopening, whereby when the blocks are -superposed upon one another in the building ofa walh-these small. apertures will provide communication'betwe en the cored. openings. in adjacent courses of the blocks so as to; provide for circulation of air within the wall.

A. still further. object of the invention is. to provide for the construction of a lintel or the like with the improved building blocks.

. The. above and other objects, apparent from the draw ingsand following description, may bev attained, the above describeddifliculties overcome and the advantages and results obtained, by the construction and arrangement which. comprise the .present invention, a preferred embodiment of. which, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant. has contemplated applying the principle, being .set forth in detail .in the following description and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure l isa perspective view-of abuilding block; constructed inaccordance-with the invention;

Fig.. 2 a transverse, vertical sectional view through the block;

Fig.- 3 a-transverse,-vertical sectional view through a portion ofa wall constructedof the improved building blocks, before the. mortar or cement has; been poured into the-interior channels and. grooves of the blocks;

- Fig. 4- a section'taken as onxthe-line 414, Fig. 31;

2,696,102 Patented Dec. 7, 1954 Fig; 5 .a; sectional elevation of aJjntel; or the like con.- structed. with the; improved- .building' blocks, .and;.

. Fig; 6 an.enlarged, ..transversesection .throughthe lintel, taken as on theline 66, Fig. 5..

-Reerrin-g' first more. particularly .to the construction shown iii-Pigs. .l to-4, in which similar numerals. refer to similar parts. throughout the drawings, the improved building block .towhichthe invention pertains is indicated generally at 10, and is preferably formed of concrete or the like.

'Ahorizontal, longitudinally disposed rib or projection 11,, having aiflat top ,12 and upwardly inclined .side walls 13, is formed upon-the top of each block, and the bottom of each block is recessed as at 14,..the recess being preferablysl ight-ly higherthan the rib. or. projection 11, and having a fiat top wall 1-5 and. upwardly and inwardly inclined side walls 16,. to receive the rib. 11. of the next lower block, asbestshown in Figs. 3 and 6. By making the recess slightly wider than the rib, it will be seen that a slight lateral clearance is provided permitting -.the blocks to belaterally aligned as they are laid up in a wall.

, A. central, longitudinally disposed groove 17,. whiehis preferably substantially half round in cross section,,-is located through the rib 12 and communicates at each end with similar shaped vertical grooves 18, centrally located in theflat. end walls 19 of the block, and a correspondingly shaped, centrally disposed groove 20 is longitudinally locatedthrough the recess v14 in .the. bottom of the. -block.

If desired, vertical ribs 21 may be. formed at each end of theblock so as to slightly recessv the. end walls l9 thereof, whereby when two blocks are butted together gin. acourse, as shown in Fig; 4, ,the ribs 21. onlyof the blockswill contact leaving a flat, widespace between the end walls 19 of the adjacent blocks with avertical central enlargement118 to receive. mortar or cement for bonding .the blocks together.

A central, vertical aperture 22 is located entirely through eachblockfrom top to bottom, communicating at opposite ends with theupper and lower grooves :17 andx20 respectively. Cored openings 23 are formed on each side of the longitudinal center of the block, extending from the bottom of the block to a point spaced from the. topthereof in order that when mortar or cement is poured through the: openings .22 and grooves 17, 18 and 2.0, there will be no danger of mortar entering and filling the openings 23', thereby preventing excessive waste of mortar or. cement and at the same time maintaining, the air spaces 23 in the blocks, for the purpose of heat and cold insulation.

If it is desired to provide for circulation of air through the. cored openings 23, small apertures: 24wmay be located through the .top of each. block, communicating with the upper endsof .thecored openings 23 was to place said cored openings in communication. with similar openings in the blocks above and below, when placed in a. wall, .as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

.These apertures 24' are. sufficiently small to prevent grouting in the form. of. mortar or cement. by which the blocks. are bonded together in the wall, from passing through the same into the. cored openings 23.

Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the space between the fiat top: I2'of the rib 11 and the flat top wall '15 of the recess 14' in the next upper block is so slight that grouting will not flow outwardly therethrough from the central mortarspace17-20, to any appreciable extent-,so that even though the cored air spaces 23- extended through the. top surface of the block, as in conventional' practice,there would be little danger of the grouting entering'th'ese cored air spaces.

In building a'wallof the improved building blocks, the

lower course of blocks, as indicated at A in Figs. 3 and 4,

this groove may be omitted from the lower course of blocks.

After several courses of the blocks have been built into a wall, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, mortar or cement, of proper consistency to be poured and to flow through the passages and grooves in the blocks, is then poured through the vertical openings 22 and/or meeting grooves 18 in the upper course of blocks and will flow out through the horizontal passages formed by the upper and lower grooves 17 and 21) respectively, and through the vertical passages formed by the end grooves 18, forming a network through and around each block, bonding the blocks together in the wall.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown the manner in which a lintel or the like, for use over a door or window opening, may be constructed from the improved building blocks.

For this purpose a metal plate, wood board or the like, as indicated at 27, may be used as a support upon which the lintel is constructed. A lower course of the building blocks 10 is first laid up upon the plate 27, said lower course of blocks being designated at L in Figs. 5 and 6. Reinforcing rods 28 are located longitudinally through the recesses 14 in the under side of the blocks in said lower course.

An upper course of blocks 10, as designated at U, is then laid up on top of the lower course L, the blocks in the upper course U being staggered relative to those in the lower course L, as best shown in Fig. 5, so that the vertical central openings 22 in the upper blocks register with the end grooves 18 in the lower blocks and visa versa.

A reinforcing rod 29 is located longitudinally through the horizontal passage formed by the meeting upper and lower grooves 17 and 29 respectively of the blocks in the lower and upper courses, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and the opposite ends of these passages are plugged as at 30, and the opposite ends of the horizontal passages formed by the recesses 14 of the lower blocks are similarly plugged, as shown at 31 in Fig. 5.

Mortar or cement, in sufficiently liquid condition that it may flow through the passages in the blocks, is then poured into the vertical openings 22 and/or the meeting grooves 18 of the upper course of blocks, flowing through all of the vertical and horizontal passages of both courses of blocks, forming a network as indicated at 32, within and between all of the blocks of both courses, and when the same has properly set the blocks will all be firmly bonded together upon the plate 27, forming a lintel in an integral unit which may then be positioned over a door or window opening as indicated at O in Fig. 5, and the wall may be completed with additional blocks 10. It should be understood that after the mortar has set the plugs 30 and 31 should be removed.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and described an embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A preformed beam formed of two superposed courses of rectangularly shaped masonry building blocks, each block including a pair of opposite sides, a pair of opposite longitudinal faces and a pair of opposite transverse faces, a longitudinal rib formed on the upper of said longitudinal faces, said rib being of a width only slightly less than the width of the block and having a substantially flat top surface and downwardly and outwardly inclined side surfaces, and a recess formed in the lower of said longitudinal faces, said recess being of slightly greater depth than the height of the rib and otherwise corresponding in width and shape to said rib, there being a longitudinal centrally located groove in the rib, and a correspondingly shaped central groove in the recess, so as to form a Wide, thin, flat longitudinal space of slightly less width than the block with an enlarged portion formed partly in each longitudinal face, a centrally disposed groove formed in each opposite transverse face of the block, said centrally disposed grooves communicating at their ends with said longitudinal grooves, a central opening extending through the block in substantially parallel relation With said opposite sides and opposite transverse faces of the block and communicating at its opposite ends with the central portions of said longitudinal grooves, ventilating openings disposed on opposite sides of said longitudinal grooves and extending through the block in substantially parallel relation with said central opening and said opposite sides, the opposite ends of said ventilating openings being located in said rib and said recess respectively, and flanges on each transverse face of the block, said flanges extending substantially from one of said 1ongitudinal faces to the other, each flange having a surface thereof coplanar with a side of the block, the blocks in each course having the flanges of the transverse faces in abutting engagement with the centrally disposed grooves of the opposite transverse faces in opposed relation so as to form wide, substantially thick, flat, transverse mortar spaces of slightly less width than the block with central enlarged portions formed partly in each transverse face of the block and in alignment with the central openings of the blocks in the other course, the blocks of the upper course being seated on the upper longitudinal faces of the blocks of the lower course with the ribs projecting up into the recesses but spaced from the bottoms thereof to form a mortar space including the opposed longitudinal, centrally located grooves of the adjacent faces of the two courses, the depth of said recess being so slightly greater than the height of the rib that the space formed therebetween will be so slight that mortar will not flow freely therethrough from the enlarged portion of said longitudinal space to said ventilating openings, mortar in all of the longitudinal centrally located grooves, transverse mortar spaces and central openings in the blocks and entirely filling the recesses in the lower course of blocks and forming a flat bottom surface for the beam, and longitudinal reinforcing rods located through the enlarged portion of the longitudinal space between the two courses of blocks and embedded in the mortar therein and through the mortar in the recesses of the lower course of blocks.

2. A preformed beam formed of two superposed courses of rectangularly shaped masonary building blocks, each block including a pair of opposite sides, a pair of opposite longitudinal faces and a pair of opposite transverse faces, a longitudinal rib formed on the upper of said longitudinal faces, said rib being of a width only slightly less than the width of the block and having a substantially flat top surface and downwardly and outwardly inclined side surfaces, and a recess formed in the lower of said longitudinal faces, said recess being of slightly greater depththan the height of the rib and otherwise corresponding in width and shape to said rib, there being a longitudinal centrally located groove in the rib, and a correspondingly shaped central groove in the recess, so as to form a wide, thin, flat longitudinal space of slightly less width than the block with an enlarged portion formed partly in each longitudinal face, a centrally disposed groove formed in each opposite transverse face of the block, said centrally disposed grooves communicating at their ends with said longitudinal grooves, a central openmg extending through the block in substantially parallel relation with said opposite sides and opposite transverse faces of the block and communicating at its opposite ends with the central portions of said longitudinal grooves, ventilating openings disposed on opposite sides of said longltudinal grooves and extending through the block in substantially parallel relation with said central opening and sald opposite sides, the opposite ends of said ventilating openings being located in said rib and said recess respectlvely, and flanges on each transverse face of the block, said flanges extending substantially from one of said longitudinal faces to the other, each flange having a surface thereof coplanar with a side of the block, the blocks in each course having the flanges of the transverse faces in abutting engagement with the centrally disposed grooves of the opposite transverse faces in opposed relation so as to form wide, substantially thick, flat, transverse mortar spaces of slightly less width than the block with central enlarged portions formed partly in each transverse face of the block and in alignment with the central openings of the blocks in the other course, the blocks of the upper course being seated on the upper longitudinal faces of the blocks of the lower course with the ribs projecting up into the recesses but spaced from the bottoms thereof to form a mortar space including the opposed longitudinal, centrally located grooves of the adjacent faces of the two courses, the depth of said recess being so slightly greater than the height of the rib that the spaces formed therebetween will be so slight that mortar will not flow freely therethrough from the enlarged portion of said longitu- 4 dinalv space to said ventilating openings, mortar in all of the longitudinal centrally located grooves, transverse mortar spaces and central openings in the blocks and entirely filling the recesses in the lower course of blocks, and forming a flat bottom surface for the beam, a longitudinal reinforcing rod located through the enlarged portion of the longitudinal spaces between the two courses of blocks and embedded in the mortar therein, and a spaced pair of longitudinal reinforcing rods located through and embedded in the mortar in the recesses of the lower coursev of blocks, said last named reinforcing rods being spaced intermediate the center and opposite sides of the blocks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 483,105 DeFernelmont Sept. 20, 1892 1,154,546 Peters Sept. 21, 1915 1,378,735 Talbot May 17, 1921 Number Number 6 Name Date Myers Mar. 28, 1922 Cummings Aug. 12, 1924 Peters June 8, 1926 Anderson Mar. 4, 1930 Sayers Dec. 16, 1930 Smith Oct. 25, 1932 Cumn June 17, 1941 Stewart June 26, 1951 Zagray Apr. 14, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain of 1903 Great Britain of 1905 France of 1910 France of 1914 Great Britain of 1923 Great Britain of 1924 France of 1926 

